Global Trade & Investment

Flights from SeaTac Airport reach Asia 1-2 hours faster than from Los Angeles or San Diego

Approximately 8.7% of Washington State’s private sector jobs are linked to export manufacturing

Seattle is a leading trade partner with Japan and China

With our natural deep-water ports, international air hub, and proximity to Asia and the Pacific Rim, the Seattle area has long been known as the Gateway to Asia. As a result, King County possesses some of the nation’s leading expertise in international trade and is one of the leading trade hubs on the West Coast.

Active ports.

The Seattle-Tacoma-Everett port region is the third largest container complex in the United States, and serves not only the Pacific Northwest, but also the major cities of the Midwest, East Coast and Canada. We’re also a major air and overland hub, enabling rapid cargo shipments to literally anywhere in the world from one location. And with our active trucking and rail routes, overland shipments can make it to Southern California as quickly as overnight, and to the East Coast in as few as five days.

Close ties to trade partners.

Commercial ties are cemented by strong civic, cultural and personal relationships. Greater Seattle is a popular destination for international tourists and students, has extensive sister-city relationships and is a center for research institutions, nonprofits and businesses that are conducting groundbreaking work in fields such as global health and clean technology.

Greater Seattle Region Global Trade & Investment Plan

The Greater Seattle Region Global Trade & Investment Plan outlines an ambitious multi-agency, intergovernmental, and public-private partnership process to implement strategies to bring the region to the forefront of international trade and investment.

The development of the Greater Seattle Region Global Trade & Investment Plan was led by the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle and the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County, but developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington State Department of Commerce, Puget Sound Regional Council, Associate Development Organizations/Economic Development Councils from Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, as well as multiple local governments, industry trade associations, educational institutions, and other leaders of industry. Recognizing the critical need for collaboration, this diverse group set out to unite around a single goal: for the Greater Seattle region to be the most globally competitive region in the United States. The plan focuses on attracting foreign direct investment and increasing the number and capacity of companies exporting across the Greater Seattle region over the next five years. Economic development partners will share resources, create common tracking systems, share information, and engage local and foreign companies to identify and leverage opportunities to increase economic opportunities across the region.